Where Does Eulachon Live?

Eulachon lives in specific habitats. Knowing where to look helps you find and identify it.

Where to find Eulachon

Water type

brackish

Depth

Marine phase: typically found in coastal waters, estuaries, and nearshore areas, often at depths of 10-100 meters, but can range deeper. Freshwater phase: spawning occurs in lower reaches of large rivers.

Environment

Anadromous, spending most of their adult lives in marine environments (coastal ocean, estuaries) and migrating into freshwater rivers to spawn. They prefer cold, oxygen-rich waters.

Geographic range

Eastern North Pacific Ocean, from northern California (primarily the Eel River) north to the southeastern Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, Alaska. Major spawning rivers include the Fraser, Columbia, Skeena, Nass, and numerous smaller rivers along the coast.

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